Review #325 - Lochlea Our Barley
Another new-age distillery, this time from the Lowlands: Lochlea. After spending nearly 30 years at Laphroaig, including a long stint as master distiller/distillery manager, John Campbell left Islay for the southern region of Scotland, where he is building Lochlea's range of whiskies. The distillery was actually commissioned in 2018, a few years before Campbell joined.
There is a range of products available from the brand, including a recent 5 year age-stated release and a cask strength release, but here, we have their signature single malt: 'Our Barley.' It's not age stated, but considering the distillery has been in operation for less than 6 years, it's relatively young whisky in the bottle; like most of the new wave of craft distilleries, this is bottled without chill filtration or artificial coloring.
Lochlea's take on the cask regimen for their young whisky is a combination of three types: first fill ex-bourbon barrels (purportedly from the Maker's Mark distillery in Kentucky), ex-Oloroso sherry butts made from the spicier European oak, and shave/toasted/recharred (STR) casks. Will that combination of flavors and influences be enough to tame the spirit at only 3 to 4 years old?
Lochlea Our Barley
Scotland/Lowland - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 67 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 66 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon, European oak ex-Oloroso sherry butts, and STR casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 8 months; bottles at 60%, 100%, 90% (blind tasting), and 80% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Robust and malty - bright, with sweet vanilla, toasted oak, and some bubblegum. Plenty of fruit develops in a few minutes: soft lemon, some sweet melon, even watermelon... pears and orange blossom, too. Apples arrive; there are some spirity notes, and then orange creamsicles.
Palate: A medium mouthfeel - warming, malty, and spirity. There's spice like white pepper and cinnamon accompanying the grain flavors, and light fruits of pear and dusty strawberry bubblegum. More sweetness from honey and strong vanilla arrive, and there's just a hint of savory flavor; smoky, dry oak comes in from the STR casks.
Finish: Medium length, and there's a nice oily character despite the youth. Drying oak, cinnamon, and peppercorns bring some spice, and there's a smoky character to the oak, as well; orange, vanilla, bubblegum, and golden apples add sweeter flavors. There's a nice mix of sweet, sour, and dry sides to this finish.
Final Note: The flavors fall into a typical young, cask-forward, unpeated single malt profile - heavy oak and fruit notes from STR and sherry casks, but there's a nice variety within. The distillate seems solid, with some oily weight, though a bit of peat might have helped it to stand out at this young age. A good starting point for the brand, but we're interested to taste some older expressions in a few years.
Value here is about average - none of these new distillery releases are cheap, but most aren't too expensive, either; this falls right in the middle, sharing a similar price to the entry level malts from peers like Raasay, Ardnamurchan, Lindores Abbey, and Glasgow.
Our Average Rating: 6.1 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.05
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
